The story portrays the apartheid system.
Paulus: * He is a white upper-class Afrikaner. * Truly in love with Thebedi, his love for her is growing. The love is genuine. They have grown up together, therefore they have a strong. His love for the white girls is only of a physical love, it is superficial. Is Thebedi just entertainment? * He is not as emotional as Thebedi.
Thebedi: * She is a farm worker. She is from the worker-class. * Strong love for Paulus.
Group 1:
Paulus: Cold and demanding. He uses the imperative. He embarrassed about the child, he is afraid of the consequences. He has ambivalent (modsatrettede) feeling. Paulus has been transformed, his character has developed.
Is Gordimer passing judgment on Paulus? Paulus is a product of the “system” – That explains his behavior
Group 2:
Thebedi does not want to be with him; therefore she stays aside the house. She has given up. Thebedi seems to be “paralyzed” by the situating. * * Group work 3: Sarah, Helene, Marck og Benjamin 2.e
How does Thebedi behave and react in this part?
She is hysterical, and is crying a lot. She is out of control and very offensive in the way that she´s accusing Paulus for pouring poison in the baby´s mouth.
Thebedi can´t prove anything. She came to court with a new born child, a year after the other dead. She came to court with the earrings Paulus gave her back in the childhood, she is calm now.
What is your reaction to the last line of the story?
On the outside, she is trying to forget Paulus and the crime, but on the inside she is still in love with him even tough she is still married to Njabulo. She can´t forget him. The times from the childhood, still sit in her mind. In front of the court, she´s afraid to confess that they had something together back then, but still not reveal their love relationship.
1) She has moved on – she has forgiven him.
2) Blacks are humans, too. They have equal